“For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” -1 Corinthians 4:7.
At first glance the Bible passage above gives the impression that apostle Paul is addressing a serious issue in the Corinthians church. He does it by asking three simple questions. However, a close look at these questions suggests three ways of addressing the same issue.
What was the issue? Obviously, Corinthians were boastful of what they had and saw themselves different from anyone else on that account. Their self perception was based on their view of what they had (possessions: spiritual gifts, knowledge, material blessings,…) and that was recipe for spiritual downfall and evidence of spiritual immaturity.
The second question is meant to introduce the Christians in Corinth to the fact (not abstract concept) that they were not different from anyone else for in actual fact, like everyone else, they had nothing that they did not receive: everything they had was given to them (gift).
Please take time to digest the point apostle Paul makes here. Let me also invite you to make it personal: What do you have that you didn’t receive? It is a rhetorical question….
Similarly, Job states in 1:21, “…Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; May the name of the Lord be praised.”
Here Job denies the right to claim possession or ownership of anything he had in life on the ground that everything he had was given by God: After all, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.” (1 Corinthians 10:26)
Accordingly, both Paul and Job remind us that self-pride or boastful attitude stems from the failure to acknowledge that everything one has is a gift and this (failure) robs or denies the Lord (God) the praise due Him: God does not get the glory or credit. Talking about being ungrateful….
Interestingly, a man or woman who denies himself or herself the right to claim possession or ownership of what he has cannot be possessed by it and thus will be free to serve and live for God.
See, freedom from the illusion of possessions is prerequisite to living purposefully and enjoying life.
May God help us all.
